Encyclopedia

Contemplative Life

A philosophical and religious ideal, known as 'vita contemplativa', which prioritizes the pursuit of truth and the vision of the divine over worldly action. It is a central theme in the works of Ficino and the Neoplatonists.

9 books · 151 mentions

Caesarea

An ancient port city in Palestine, significant in early Christian history as the site of a major library and the residence of the historian Eusebius.

9 books · 150 mentions

Christ (Jesus)

The central figure of Christianity, interpreted in esoteric texts as the Logos or the 'True Light' who facilitates the restoration of humanity. Alchemists often used him as a symbol for the Philosopher's Stone or the 'Lapis Exilis'.

9 books · 141 mentions

Castile

A historical kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula that played a crucial role in the transmission of Arabic science, alchemy, and lapidary knowledge to the Latin West.

9 books · 137 mentions

Clavius

A Jesuit mathematician and astronomer who was the primary architect of the Gregorian calendar and a key figure in 16th-century scientific education.

9 books · 136 mentions

Caduceus

The staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology, featuring two snakes winding around a winged rod; it serves as a symbol of alchemy, commerce, and wisdom.

9 books · 132 mentions

Concupiscence

A theological and philosophical term referring to intense desire or lust, particularly that which remains in human nature after the Fall. It was a central concept in Augustinian theology and Reformation debates concerning sin, grace, and human will.

9 books · 125 mentions

Choler

9 books · 122 mentions

Clotho

The youngest of the three Moirai, or Fates, in Greek mythology, responsible for spinning the thread of human life.

9 books · 107 mentions

Christian Wolff

9 books · 103 mentions

Commensurability

9 books · 91 mentions

Cleanthes

A Stoic philosopher and the successor to Zeno of Citium, known for his Hymn to Zeus and his emphasis on the religious nature of Stoicism.

9 books · 87 mentions

Chalcis

An ancient Greek city on the island of Euboea, notable in intellectual history as the place where Aristotle died. It appears in classical and Renaissance texts as a site of philosophical and historical importance.

9 books · 86 mentions

Christiaan Huygens

A Dutch mathematician and physicist who made landmark contributions to optics, horology, and the study of planetary motion during the 17th century.

8 books · 279 mentions

Cristoforo Landino

An Italian Renaissance humanist and a central figure of the Florentine Academy, known for his influential commentaries on Dante's Divine Comedy and his Platonic dialogues.

8 books · 194 mentions

Contrition

8 books · 193 mentions

Cyril

A major Church Father and Patriarch of Alexandria known for his Christological defenses and his role in the Council of Ephesus.

8 books · 177 mentions

Concordance

A scholarly or philosophical method of harmonizing different texts or ideas, central to the syncretic projects of Ramon Llull and Renaissance humanists.

8 books · 166 mentions

Central Fire

In Pythagorean and alchemical cosmology, the hypothetical fire at the center of the universe or the internal heat driving transmutation.

8 books · 148 mentions

Chile

A South American territory that became a subject of geographical and botanical interest in Europe following the Spanish exploration of the New World.

8 books · 143 mentions

Chaos

In alchemical and cosmological traditions, the primordial, unformed state of matter or the 'materia prima' from which the universe and the Philosopher's Stone are generated.

8 books · 136 mentions

Celestial Harmony

8 books · 123 mentions

Cato of Utica

A Roman statesman and Stoic philosopher known for his moral integrity and his opposition to Julius Caesar, often cited in Renaissance literature as a model of civic virtue.

8 books · 118 mentions

Chalcedon

An ancient maritime city in Bithynia, famous for hosting the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, which defined the dual nature of Christ. It is often cited in theological and historical texts regarding the foundations of Christian orthodoxy.

8 books · 117 mentions

Cambyses

Cambyses II was the Achaemenid King of Kings who conquered Egypt in 525 BCE, often depicted in historical and esoteric texts as a figure of imperial power or as a tyrant who suppressed Egyptian religious traditions.

8 books · 116 mentions

Constancy

8 books · 115 mentions

Capitoline Hill

One of the seven hills of Rome, representing the center of Roman civic life and a focal point for Renaissance architectural restoration.

8 books · 109 mentions

Copernican system

8 books · 106 mentions

Calicut

A major trading port on the Malabar Coast of India, famous in early modern Europe as the destination of Vasco da Gama and a center for the spice trade.

8 books · 103 mentions

Cassius

A Roman senator and a leading instigator in the assassination of Julius Caesar. He is frequently discussed in early modern political philosophy and literature as a symbol of betrayal or republican zeal.

8 books · 91 mentions

Chorography

The practice of describing or mapping specific regions or districts, focusing on local detail and qualitative characteristics rather than global geography. In the early modern period, it was closely linked to antiquarianism and the study of local history.

8 books · 85 mentions

Censorinus

8 books · 69 mentions

Chalcidius

A 4th-century philosopher and translator whose Latin commentary on Plato's 'Timaeus' served as a primary source of Platonic cosmology for the Latin West during the Middle Ages. His work bridged the gap between Greek philosophy and Christian theology.

8 books · 58 mentions

Clinias

A Pythagorean philosopher and contemporary of Plato, often cited in Neoplatonic and Hermetic texts as an example of ancient wisdom and ethical conduct.

7 books · 614 mentions

Critical Apparatus

The system of annotations and references used in scholarly editions of texts to document variant readings and manuscript evidence.

7 books · 235 mentions

Concoction

7 books · 174 mentions

Callias

7 books · 168 mentions

Celestial Hierarchy

7 books · 153 mentions

Callimachus

A Hellenistic poet, critic, and scholar at the Library of Alexandria, whose refined style and cataloging methods were highly influential on both Roman and Renaissance literature.

7 books · 129 mentions

Christ / Jesus

7 books · 126 mentions

Canon

A set of rules, standards, or a definitive list of works, often applied in music, art, and theology. In the context of natural philosophy, it refers to mathematical tables or fundamental laws governing celestial motion.

7 books · 121 mentions

Codicology

7 books · 113 mentions

City of God

7 books · 113 mentions

Colophon

An ancient Greek city in Ionia, famous for its oracle of Apollo at Claros and its significance in the transmission of theurgic traditions.

7 books · 112 mentions

Condensation

7 books · 108 mentions

Charybdis

7 books · 107 mentions

Celestial world

In the pre-Copernican cosmos, the realm of the planets and stars located between the corruptible terrestrial world and the eternal supercelestial divine realm.

7 books · 103 mentions

Christendom

The historical and geopolitical concept of a unified Christian world, often invoked in early modern political and religious discourse.

7 books · 101 mentions

Caucasus mountains

7 books · 101 mentions

Camilla

7 books · 100 mentions

Cornelius

Refers to Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, a polymath and occult writer whose De Occulta Philosophia became a cornerstone of Western ritual magic and Renaissance esotericism.

7 books · 99 mentions

Cracow

7 books · 98 mentions

Contraries

7 books · 96 mentions

Common Notions

7 books · 94 mentions

Canaanite woman

7 books · 91 mentions

Contingency

7 books · 89 mentions

Central Sun

7 books · 89 mentions

Calx

7 books · 88 mentions